St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1887-05-21
THE TWO GIANTS.

A0kcI (0TWCT, ~ Lttue FOtAS.
THE TWO GIANTS.
The Trouble which Comes to Those who
Befrsena .'Just This Once" and "After
Awhile"
Boys. let me tell You, who are fond
of reading about fairies and giants.
that there are two giants
But. there! The idea Of calling un-
conquered faults by the name of giants
is such an old one that l don't believe
I'll finish this i'm the way i'm which /
have begun it. think l will just say
out. in the plainest and most unvar-
nished manner, that there are two
faults that cause more trouble. ! do
believe than most any other faults in
the world. Remember. when l say
faults" don't mean vices such as
drinking. swearing. lying. ETC.. though
these two faults of which am goingtO
speak will turn into vices if not cor
rected in early youth.
They are SO much alike that. II l
hadn't adopted the giant plan. 1
should call them twins. think i shall
be obliged to call them twins anyway
-'.twin" faults. When tell you
their names you will see how much
they resemble each other, while they
are really different.
The first one is, then. ''Just this
once" and the second one is ''After
awhile"
The first one arises from an eager
desire to have ones own way; the Sec
ond one fron-well. from laziness.
''Just this once" causes. think, per-
haps q little more unhappiness than
latter whiie"-simply because when
we feel the necessity of using this
phrase. it is always i'm reference to
something We know We should not do.
either because we have been told not
| to, or because our own sense Of right
warns us that We are doing wrong.
And. boys, If you have been told to
stop doing some particular thing. and
you try to ease your conscience with
the promise 10 yourself that it shall lie
''iust this once and never again." let
me tell you that the next time tempta-
ton assails you. you will again say
'.just this once" (Which will make
twice) and this time you will not he
obliged to talk to your conscience To
prove that there il NO harm in '.just
this once"
Boys. don't smoke ''just this once"
because you are afraid ITO look queer"
on some particular occasion ''when all
the rest of the fellows smoke" Don't
think that '.just this once won't mat
ter" il father or mother have asked
you not to do it. Every time counts.
and mother and father can not have
the same confidence in boy who al
lows himself to be persuaded (or per-
suades himselD to do something even
''once," if he knows they would dissp-
prove. They love him just the same.
but they can not depend on him. And.
boys. did you ever think what a dread
full thing it is to be boy that is not to
be depended ON? Do you know that it
is the '.just this once" that has put
many man and boy in Jail? A mans
accounts are for some unaccountable
reason little short; temptation assails
him and '.just for once till he can right
himself" Gas he tells himselO he makes
. false entry. The minute he has
yielded to that temptation he is lost.
Because he is either discovered and
punished at once. or he isn't discov-
cred, and the ease with which he ac-
complished his first fraud gives him
courage to commit . second. to cover
up the first. Happy is the man who is
discovered the first time and thus saved
long line Of crime and deccits.
Boys. don't smoke. don't chew. don't
drink. don't cheat. lie or steal-don't
do any thing '.just this once" that you
would not be willing to have every
body know.
Now. then. ''after awhile
latter awhile" ID another salve for .
troubled conscience. or perhaps l
would best say troubling conscience.
When conscience tells you Of some
thing you have not done (''after
awhile" refers to the thing you have
not done. while .just this once" refers
to the things You have done) you ease
your conscience with the reflection that
you will attend 70 il latter awhile"
I'm not going to say very much
about latter awhile" because what l
have already said about '.just this
once" has . good deal Of bearing upon
il, and any hoy who thinks 1t all can
see it all for himself. And those who
do not think will not read this anyway.
But the remedy for both these evils
il ''now." II you arc doing any thing
you should not do not wish for one
more indulgence. stop it .'now." Il
there ID something You should do. do Il
..now," for the task will b ten times
as disagreeable latter awhile Mrs..
Emms & Hesrits, ~ Chrississ ss WerA